The Hub Reports

Continuously updated analysis of the most important trends and research in the TV industry, in a package that’s easy to use and share.

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November 2018

2018 Conquering Content

Conquering Content takes a deep dive into how TV consumers find shows to watch—and how they feel about the discovery process

Back in January, Jon Landgraf from FX predicted that the number of new scripted shows introduced in 2018 would reach 520, up from 487 in 2017. As large as that number seems, it didn’t even include shows in other, non-scripted genres. In fact, Netflix alone is on pace to introduce about 700 new shows, across genres, this year.

We launched Conquering Content in 2013 to explore how consumers navigate the ever-growing deluge of TV programming: how they first hear about shows, how their discovery sources differ by genre, the characteristics of a show that make them most likely to give it a try, and even the number episodes they’ll watch before deciding if a show is good enough to add to their regular viewing schedule.

In addition to cataloging the discovery methods consumers use, the study also looks at how they feel about the process: how easy or difficult it is to find shows to watch, the discovery tools that are most and least effective, and how their feelings have trended over time.

The study’s ultimate goal: provide content producers and distributors with insight they can use to develop strategies for making sure their shows stand out amid the clutter.

Online survey with 1,699 U.S. consumers age 16-74 who have broadband access at home and watch a minimum of 1 hour of TV per week.

Conquering Content takes a deep dive into how TV consumers find shows to watch—and how they feel about the discovery process

Back in January, Jon Landgraf from FX predicted that the number of new scripted shows introduced in 2018 would reach 520, up from 487 in 2017. As large as that number seems, it didn’t even include shows in other, non-scripted genres. In fact, Netflix alone is on pace to introduce about 700 new shows, across genres, this year.

We launched Conquering Content in 2013 to explore how consumers navigate the ever-growing deluge of TV programming: how they first hear about shows, how their discovery sources differ by genre, the characteristics of a show that make them most likely to give it a try, and even the number of episodes they’ll watch before deciding if a show is good enough to add to their regular viewing schedule.

In addition to cataloging the discovery methods consumers use, the study also looks at how they feel about the process: how easy or difficult it is to find shows to watch, the discovery tools that are most and least effective, and how their feelings have trended over time.

The study’s ultimate goal: provide content producers and distributors with insight they can use to develop strategies for making sure their shows stand out amid the clutter.

Online survey with 1,699 U.S. consumers age 16-74 who have broadband access at home and watch a minimum of 1 hour of TV per week.

2018 The Future of Monetization

The rapid growth of online sources of television has not only led to dramatic shifts in in how TV content is delivered to consumers; it’s also created new options for how content producers and distributors monetize their offerings.

Of course, as with everything else in the new TV landscape, there’s clearly no “one-size-fits-all” approach to TV content and service monetization. The rules that apply on one platform (e.g., how ads are served up on linear TV) might not apply on other platforms (e.g., how ads are delivered on VOD or OTT). Subscription pricing approaches that offer adequate returns, after license fees, on one service might be inadequate on other platforms (e.g., VMVPDs).

With content producers and distributors wrestling with the decision on what monetization approaches make the most sense for their bottom line, the “Future of Monetization” will explore the issue from the consumer perspective:

What pay models they prefer
What pay models they accept even if it’s not their preference
What they expect from certain models (e.g., ads or no ads with a subscription service, ad skipping available or not available)
What specifics of each model are optimal (optimal ad loads, subscription fees, EST price points)
What content extras or features they’re willing to pay for
What impact price increases have on service adoption and loyalty
Online survey with 1,612 U.S. consumers age 16-74 who have broadband access at home and watch a minimum of 1 hour of TV per week.

The rapid growth of online sources of television has not only led to dramatic shifts in in how TV content is delivered to consumers; it’s also created new options for how content producers and distributors monetize their offerings.

Of course, as with everything else in the new TV landscape, there’s clearly no “one-size-fits-all” approach to TV content and service monetization. The rules that apply on one platform (e.g., how ads are served up on linear TV) might not apply on other platforms (e.g., how ads are delivered on VOD or OTT). Subscription pricing approaches that offer adequate returns, after license fees, on one service might be inadequate on other platforms (e.g., VMVPDs).

With content producers and distributors wrestling with the decision on what monetization approaches make the most sense for their bottom line, the “Future of Monetization” will explore the issue from the consumer perspective:

What pay models they prefer

What pay models they accept even if it’s not their preference

What they expect from certain models (e.g., ads or no ads with a subscription service, ad skipping available or not available)

Decoding the Default

Hub’s annual “Decoding the Default” study, first conducted in 2013, tracks the sources and devices consumers consider their “home base” for television viewing.

Two critically important phenomena are at play in today’s TV environment. First, consumers have access to more sources of TV and more devices for viewing than ever before. Second, amid this explosion of options, consumers are hungry for consolidation: they’re looking for fewer platforms—even a single platform—that will deliver their full array of content in one place.

With TV viewers moving toward a preference for one-stop solutions, it’s especially important to understand which platforms and devices they’re most loyal to. And we’ve found that viewers’ “default”—the service and device they turn on first when they want to watch TV programming—is an especially powerful indicator of loyalty.

“Decoding the Default” takes a deep dive into the platforms consumers consider their TV home base (in general and in specific scenarios), the factors that lead viewers to choose one source as their default over others, and how all of the above has changed over time.

Online survey with 1,933 U.S. consumers age 16-74 who have broadband access at home and watch a minimum of 1 hour of TV per week.

Hub’s annual “Decoding the Default” study, first conducted in 2013, tracks the sources and devices consumers consider their “home base” for television viewing.

Two critically important phenomena are at play in today’s TV environment. First, consumers have access to more sources of TV and more devices for viewing than ever before. Second, amid this explosion of options, consumers are hungry for consolidation: they’re looking for fewer platforms—even a single platform—that will deliver their full array of content in one place.

With TV viewers moving toward a preference for one-stop solutions, it’s especially important to understand which platforms and devices they’re most loyal to. And we’ve found that viewers’ “default”—the service and device they turn on first when they want to watch TV programming—is an especially powerful indicator of loyalty.

“Decoding the Default” takes a deep dive into the platforms consumers consider their TV home base (in general and in specific scenarios), the factors that lead viewers to choose one source as their default over others, and how all of the above has changed over time.

Online survey with 1,933 U.S. consumers age 16-74 who have broadband access at home and watch a minimum of 1 hour of TV per week.

What’s TV Worth

Since 2013, Hub’s annual “What’s TV Worth” study has been tracking two critical aspects of the evolving TV marketplace:

TV Platform and Device Use: What’s TV Worth measures consumer use of all of the following:

TV service categories (MVPD, SVOD, VMVPD, Direct-to-Consumer Networks)
Specific services within each category (which MVPD, which SVODs, etc.)
Service combinations (the most common multi-subscription configurations—e.g., MVPD plus Netflix, Netflix plus HBO Now, etc.)
Add-ons within each service (premium networks, DVRs, commercial-free options like AMC Premier or FX+, Amazon Channels, etc.)
Viewing devices (TV, computer, phone, tablet, plus TV connectors for online viewing)
Most importantly, the study looks at trends in all of the above over the past five years: which are on the increase, which are on the decline.

Value Perceptions: How consumers rate the value of all of the following, relative to what they pay, in dollars or in time viewing ads:

The primary TV service pay models (subscription, ad-supported, transactional)
The different service categories (MVPD, SVOD, VMVPD, etc.)
The specific services they’re familiar with
The add-ons they have or have heard about
The study looks at trends in value perception as well: which services are trending up or down when it comes to perceived value

Online survey with 2,296 U.S. consumers age 16-74 who have broadband access at home and watch a minimum of 1 hour of TV per week.

The Best Bundle

The traditional MVPD bundle has been the target of much criticism over the past several years. For one thing, research has demonstrated that MVPD subscribers watch only a small portion (fewer than 10%) of the networks they have available. And that has contributed to a perceived “value-for-the-money” rating that is consistently lower for MVPD providers than it is for platforms like Netflix.

One result: consumers now create their own TV bundles, usually by combining pay TV with an assortment of online TV services, and using them to complement each other. (As of December 2017, the average pay TV subscriber also uses 1.9 online services in addition to their pay TV service.)

But we’ve seen evidence recently that consumers may be approaching platform saturation: more respondents in our studies say that they have so many options for TV that it’s hard to know where to begin. What’s more, consumers have shown enthusiasm for integrated solutions like Amazon Channels or having Netflix incorporated into Xfinity’s set top box – things that make TV simpler to navigate, without needing to manage multiple accounts and credentials.

“The Best Bundle”…

Explores the current state of consumer preference for aggregated vs. standalone content
Identifies the content and features that make bundles most appealing
Tracks the findings against our 2017 bundling study (“Let’s Get Ready to Bundle”) to see how preferences are changing over time
Gauges the opportunity for new/different approaches to bundling (e.g. Amazon Channels, pay TV add-ons like AMC Premiere or FX Plus)
Measures the appeal of new standalones that may enter the game (e.g. Disney, Apple, etc.)
Online survey with 2,056 U.S. consumers age 16-74 who have broadband access at home and watch a minimum of 5 hours of TV per week.

The traditional MVPD bundle has been the target of much criticism over the past several years. For one thing, research has demonstrated that MVPD subscribers watch only a small portion (fewer than 10%) of the networks they have available. And that has contributed to a perceived “value-for-the-money” rating that is consistently lower for MVPD providers than it is for platforms like Netflix.

One result: consumers now create their own TV bundles, usually by combining pay TV with an assortment of online TV services, and using them to complement each other. (As of December 2017, the average pay TV subscriber also uses 1.9 online services in addition to their pay TV service.)

But we’ve seen evidence recently that consumers may be approaching platform saturation: more respondents in our studies say that they have so many options for TV that it’s hard to know where to begin. What’s more, consumers have shown enthusiasm for integrated solutions like Amazon Channels or having Netflix incorporated into Xfinity’s set top box – things that make TV simpler to navigate, without needing to manage multiple accounts and credentials.

“The Best Bundle”…

Explores the current state of consumer preference for aggregated vs. standalone content

Identifies the content and features that make bundles most appealing

Tracks the findings against our 2017 bundling study (“Let’s Get Ready to Bundle”) to see how preferences are changing over time

The Battle for Share of Mind

Viewers now have more ways of watching traditional, long-form TV and movie content. But new platforms have also led to the development of brand new forms of entertainment that were unheard of just a decade ago, including an ever-expanding list of short-form video genres, content from multiple social media sources, and livestreaming.

The Battle for Share of Mind looks at how consumers distribute their time across all entertainment options, which they spend the most, and most consistent, time with, and the factors that drive their decisions to choose some options over others.

What we learned: Which platforms are most entrenched with consumers, which are most at risk, and what any platform needs to do meet consumers’ “short list” requirements.

Online survey with 1,774 U.S. consumers age 16-74 who have broadband access at home and watch a minimum of 5 hours of TV per week.

Viewers now have more ways of watching traditional, long-form TV and movie content. But new platforms have also led to the development of brand new forms of entertainment that were unheard of just a decade ago, including an ever-expanding list of short-form video genres, content from multiple social media sources, and livestreaming.

The Battle for Share of Mind looks at how consumers distribute their time across all entertainment options, which they spend the most, and most consistent, time with, and the factors that drive their decisions to choose some options over others.

What we learned: Which platforms are most entrenched with consumers, which are most at risk, and what any platform needs to do meet consumers’ “short list” requirements.

Online survey with 1,774 U.S. consumers age 16-74 who have broadband access at home and watch a minimum of 5 hours of TV per week.

Conquering Content

Wave 5 of our deep dive into how consumers discover new shows and choose which ones to watch.

Since 2012, the number of original scripted shows introduced each year has been increasing at a dizzying pace. In past waves of our Conquering Content study, we’ve found that most consumers are happy with this embarrassment of riches, saying they spend more of their time than ever before watching shows they “really like”.

But is it possible to have too much of a good thing? For example, we’ve also found that significant proportions of viewers feel there is so much content available that it’s “hard to know where to start”. That marketplace reality makes it more important than ever to understand: (1) how consumers decide what to view, and (2) how to make sure content cuts through the clutter, to ensure that shows even have a chance to be considered.

Online survey with 2,214 U.S. consumers age 16-74 who have broadband access at home and watch a minimum of 5 hours of TV per week.

Wave 5 of our deep dive into how consumers discover new shows and choose which ones to watch.

Since 2012, the number of original scripted shows introduced each year has been increasing at a dizzying pace. In past waves of our Conquering Content study, we’ve found that most consumers are happy with this embarrassment of riches, saying they spend more of their time than ever before watching shows they “really like”.

But is it possible to have too much of a good thing? For example, we’ve also found that significant proportions of viewers feel there is so much content available that it’s “hard to know where to start”. That marketplace reality makes it more important than ever to understand: (1) how consumers decide what to view, and (2) how to make sure content cuts through the clutter, to ensure that shows even have a chance to be considered.

Online survey with 2,214 U.S. consumers age 16-74 who have broadband access at home and watch a minimum of 5 hours of TV per week.

TV Redefined

Our “TV – Redefined” study will take a deep dive into the different ways consumers use and think about the full range of video content they watch. Understanding how consumers refer to video content, and the process of accessing content, has important marketing and brand implications. In addition to offering the content that consumers love, in a way that makes content easily accessible, the most successful brands will position themselves in ways that are consistent with the way consumers think about what they’re doing.

Our “TV – Redefined” study will take a deep dive into the different ways consumers use and think about the full range of video content they watch. Understanding how consumers refer to video content, and the process of accessing content, has important marketing and brand implications. In addition to offering the content that consumers love, in a way that makes content easily accessible, the most successful brands will position themselves in ways that are consistent with the way consumers think about what they’re doing.

The study was conducted among 1,608 U.S. consumers age 16-74 who have broadband access at home and watch a minimum of 5 hours of TV per week.

Decoding the Default

Hub’s annual “Decoding the Default” study takes a deep dive into the platforms consumers choose as their first stop for TV, how that’s changed over time, and the needs that drive them to choose one default over others. It also looks at which TV devices they turn to first—the screens they watch, and the devices they use to connect their TV to the internet—both overall and in specific viewing scenarios.

Hub’s annual “Decoding the Default” study takes a deep dive into the platforms consumers choose as their first stop for TV, how that’s changed over time, and the needs that drive them to choose one default over others. It also looks at which TV devices they turn to first—the screens they watch, and the devices they use to connect their TV to the internet—both overall and in specific viewing scenarios.

The study was conducted among 1,806 consumers aged 16-74, who watch 5+ hours of TV and have broadband service at home.

What’s TV Worth

“What’s TV Worth” is Hub’s annual tracking study on the perceived value of TV sources. It measures which sources viewers feel offer them the greatest value, the factors that cause them to value some sources more than others, and how perceptions of value have changed over time.

“What’s TV Worth” is Hub’s annual tracking study on the perceived value of TV sources. It measures which sources viewers feel offer them the greatest value, the factors that cause them to value some sources more than others, and how perceptions of value have changed over time.

Pay TV “Deep Dive”: Changes in the number of cord cutters, cord “shavers”, and cord “nevers”, the factors that drive these behaviors, where their TV time is allocated instead, and how many ultimately return to pay TV

Let’s Get Ready to Bundle

When it comes to media and entertainment, we’re all living in an increasingly à la carte world. Consumers no longer have to buy an entire record album to listen to individual songs. Reading an interesting article no longer requires a subscription to an entire magazine or newspaper—or even purchasing a single copy.

When it comes to media and entertainment, we’re all living in an increasingly à la carte world. Consumers no longer have to buy an entire record album to listen to individual songs. Reading an interesting article no longer requires a subscription to an entire magazine or newspaper—or even purchasing a single copy.

This shift has had more than just an impact on the way media and entertainment services are distributed and purchased. It’s resulted in a new mindset among consumers, who have grown more and more accustomed to the idea that they shouldn’t have to pay for “extras” that they never asked for in the first place.

Up until recently, the TV industry has managed to remain relatively immune to this phenomenon, with the vast majority of consumers still subscribing to television service on a bundled-network basis—despite the fact that most TV customers say they watch only a small percentage of the channels available to them.

But as with most other aspects of the industry, the landscape is changing. Skinny bundles have emerged that offer a smaller package of networks at a lower price than cable. Companies like HBO, Showtime, and CBS offer standalone subscriptions without requiring a pay TV contract. OTT providers like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon enable viewers to go outside the traditional MVPD/network system to create their own TV packages. And brand new services (like DIRECTV NOW, or upcoming live TV packages from Hulu and Google) will provide consumers even more options.

In this study, we’ll explore:

How much consumers know about these new offerings

How appealing they are generally

Which approaches are most attractive

Which work together best to offer the greatest perceived value

The study was conducted among 1,502 consumers aged 16-74, who watch 5+ hours of TV and have broadband service at home.

The Branding of TV

Today’s TV consumer is faced with unprecedented choice—in the providers they can choose for TV access, the networks they can turn to in their search for content they’ll enjoy, and the individual shows they can decide to try out.

Hub’s Branding of TV study looks at the role that brand plays in how TV viewers make their TV provider and viewing decisions. Specifically, the study offers insight into:

TV, Defined: What brands do consumers equate with TV viewing in general? What TV brands are most top-of-mind?

Categories: How do consumers make sense of the dizzying array of TV brands that exist today? Which are considered providers of service? Which are considered providers of content?

Image: Which brands do consumers feel most familiar with? Which have the most distinct identities? Which specific characteristics do viewers associate with different brands?

Preference: If viewers could only choose a handful of network brands, which would they be? Which networks are most successful in persuading consumers to give a new show a try?

Source Impact: How well do viewers recognize the brands that originally produced the content they see from non-linear sources?

The study was conducted among 1,300 consumers aged 16-74, who watch 5+ hours of TV and have broadband service at home.

Conquering Content

The TV content boom continues. The number of original shows produced each year continues to rise. Providers are expanding their list of exclusive/original content, and traditional TV providers are making big investments in streaming experiences to compete with Netflix. To keep up, the average viewer watches across multiple traditional and online platforms.

Amid all of this growth, at least one thing remains about the same: the amount of disposable time for entertainment. Hub’s Conquering Content study tracks consumers’ attitudes and priorities as they evaluate and choose where their TV time will go. You’ll learn:

Selection: how do consumers approach the choice of what to watch? What are the biggest benefits, and challenges, of so much choice?

Discovery process: How do consumers learn about new shows in the first place? What’s the relative impact of word of mouth, vs. traditional on-air promotions, vs. social media?

Choice of platform: Which TV providers are particularly good at making the volume of content manageable for consumers?

TV and Advertising

Although subscription-based, online TV platforms continue to gain traction, free TV with ad support still plays a critically important role in the TV ecosystem. How do consumers feel about the ad-supported model, on its own and compared with other methods of paying for TV? TV and…

Although subscription-based, online TV platforms continue to gain traction, free TV with ad support still plays a critically important role in the TV ecosystem. How do consumers feel about the ad-supported model, on its own and compared with other methods of paying for TV?

TV and Advertising covers…

Which pay models consumers prefer for TV content

What they see as the key benefits and drawbacks of each model—including the free, ad-supported model

How likely viewers are to engage in ad avoidance behaviors

What approaches to ad delivery they say would be most likely grab their attention

The study is conducted among 1,206 U.S. consumers age 16-74, with broadband access at home and who watch a minimum of 5 hours of TV per week.

Decoding the default

Today, the average viewer uses pay TV in conjunction with multiple online sources. The most important question is no longer which platforms are viewers using, but which are they using *first* and *most often*.

The third wave of “Decoding the Default” covers…

Which TV sources consumers are using

How their total TV time is allocated across them

Which sources are emerging as TV *defaults*—the first thing viewers turn on when they want to watch

The factors that lead consumers to choose one source as their default over another

The study is conducted among 1,217 U.S. consumers age 16-74, with broadband access at home and who watch a minimum of 5 hours of TV per week.

This first-time study will explore new forms of video: short form content, “digital-first” video created to be consumed online, and content delivered through YouTube personalities and networks. We’ll measure consumption of this content, why it’s appealing, and the extent to which it competes with/complements viewing from other sources.

The study is conducted among 1,246 U.S. consumers age 16-74, with broadband access at home and who watch a minimum of 5 hours of TV per week.

CONQUERING CONTENT

Our annual tracking study on TV discovery. In an world where consumers have more shows and providers to choose from than ever before… How do they find out about new shows to watch What determines which shows get watched over others How have online TV options…